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We take great care about the quality and quantity of coal or wood we put in the cooking furnace or fireplace. We should also give it enough air to burn properly. This enables the fire to give maximum of heat and reduce smoke and ashes to a minimum. We should not forget that there is a similar fireplace in our stomach. We must think of the after-effects of the food and drink we take. The difference in the proportion of three basic elements of water, fire and wood in our body depends upon the food we eat.

As laymen, we should see that the fire in the stomach is well maintained and should be knowledgeable on the type of food that does not agree with us. We should, therefore, avoid such unsuitable foods. We must know that a particular food which may be good for certain people may not be suitable to others eg, curd/yoghurt, buttermilk, suitable to people having more elements of fire, would not be suitable to people having more elements of water in them.

Carry a soft flying disc or Frisbee with you. Toss it around and get up to fetch it. This is also an excellent way to beat stress. It makes a person feel good to throw something away forcefully when the person is all worked up. And the thing that you throw is something soft and can't damage anything, then what is stopping you?

It is not really the throwing part that we are interested in. It is the fetching part. Each time you get up to fetch it back; you are giving yourself a chance to stretch those muscles and joints

Here's a corollary to the tip above: Avoid drinking coffee in excess, as it tends to desensitize your body to the fat burning effects of caffeine.

You have to drive your self to move about. A cell phone may be convenient, but the same thing can turn out to simplify life just a little too bit. There are other arguments against the use of cell phones but that is beside our topic. What I would suggest is that at home or in your office, leave the cell phone lying about so that you can hear it ring, but can't just reach into your pocket and answer it. See to it that you have to actually stand up and walk a few steps before you can pick it up.

Change from table butter to cholesterol free butter. If you have a choice why not g for it, any way it is healthier for you and tastes just the same. Bear in mind that these small changes can go a long way towards weight reduction.

Boil your vegetables instead of cooking them, or even better, eat them fresh. However if you do not like eating your vegetables as it is, try steaming them without adding anything at all. This is probably the healthiest way to eat cabbages, cauliflowers and a host of other vegetables.

Use a non stick frying pan for your cooking so that you do not have to add oil. The golden rule is to try and avoid as much oil as possible and a non stick pan is the perfect solution to this problem.

In order to stay fit you need exercise and in order to exercise you need to be fit. But just because you are not fit now, it does not mean that you shouldn't exercise. And just like that, just because you do not have any visible excess fat on your body right now, it does not mean that you need no exercise. Exercise is the best way to keep obesity, cardio vascular disorders, hypertension and all those lifestyle-related disorders under control.